Troll Trouble

The authorities seek a brave soul to kill the degenerate troll lurking near the ruined bridge at the Aedernian border. The beast may be defeated by any means, just as long as it is defeated. The troll slayer will be generously rewarded (relevant taxes and levies have already been deducted) and receive the gratitude of the terrorized people of Flotsam.

Geralt learns of the quest by reading the note on the Flotsam notice board. He then decides to go to the bridge. On the way, he finds a villager being attacked by nekkers. After rescuing the poor sod, he learns that the man had been sent by the merchants from the port to find out what was going on with the bridge and why, given that it is the only path out of the port inland. The villager also makes a point of mentioning that the bridge is in ruins and that the troll is demanding liquor to let anyone pass. Lastly, the man tells the witcher that he can learn more about the troll from Chorab, the village elder in Lobinden.

Chorab explains that without the troll, there would be no bridge at all, so it would be preferable if Geralt could simply get the troll to stop drinking and get back to work. The witcher is then faced with two choices:

If he decides to help the troll, they will have a chat. Please note, the initial conversation will always lead to combat - once beaten down to a small extent, the troll explains that he only started drinking when his mate was cruelly killed by some men while he was away minding the bridge. Now he's lonely and heartbroken and only vodka or vengeance can make him feel better. At this point, Geralt decides either that he doesn't care (and thus proceed with troll-slaying) or that he will deal with the she-troll's murderers.

Geralt may also get more information about the troll from Síle and Zoltan; then having a look around Sendler's house, he sees a she-troll's head mounted on the man's wall. When asked where he got it, Sendler says it was Dmitri who killed her (and quite audaciously at that).

If Geralt wants the troll head, and hasn't already completed Poker Face: Flotsam, now is the time. Sendler will not give up the head until beaten at dice poker by a locally respected player. (In other words, he must be defeated once in the course of Poker Face, and once again for Geralt to acquire the head.)

When Geralt pursues his line of questioning, Sendler admits that he doesn't actually know where Dmitri is, but that his henchmen drink at the inn and that they could no doubt tell the witcher where to find him. Geralt then goes off to the inn to find one of Dmitri's men.

He finds one without much effort, watching the fistfights in the basement. After a bit of intimidation, the man reveals that Dmitri is most likely in the graveyard. So then it's off to the graveyard.

Once there, Geralt finds not only Dmitri, but more of his henchmen. A fight ensues, but as ever, Geralt is victorious. He has a quick look around, whereupon he finds a key, a letter, a report and some other loot.

Geralt then returns to the troll.

Reporting the deaths of the men who killed his mate earns his thanks, and advances the quest to return to Chorab for the reward.

There is one more surprise awaiting Geralt: Chorab now only offers half of the previously-agreed reward. Geralt can either live with that (100) or convince the alderman (with either intimidation or persuasion) to pay the full amount (200).

If Dmitri is not in the graveyard, he is most likely at his hideout: a house at the southeast edge of the swamp on the other side of the river.

It is possible to help the troll, claim the reward from Chorab, then go back and claim the reward from Merse. (Whether anyone other than a dead troll will remember this lapse in Geralt's honor is unknown.)

Helping the troll (and leaving him alive through the end of Chapter I) leaves open the possibility of the Steam achievementFriend Of The Trolls (awarded for sparing the lives of all trolls in the game). Killing him will make that achievement impossible on the current playthrough, but conversely opens the possibility of completing the mutually exclusive Trollslayer achievement (for killing all trolls in the game); similarly, Trollslayer will not be possible on the current playthrough if Chapter I ends with the bridge troll still alive.

Pre-patch bug: If the troll is killed, his unlooted corpse (and even his looted tongue!) have been known to disappear after reloading the game. If in doubt, loot immediately and dispose of the tongue (whether by sale, alchemy or the Melitele's Heart side-quest) as soon as possible.

With patch 1.3, inventory can be stored at the local inn; this will keep the tongue safe.

In practicing their trade, witchers abide by a code that clearly explains what they can and cannot do. Geralt claims he invented this code himself, to have an excuse for refusing unwanted jobs, but I think such a stratagem would be too complicated for him. Either way, Geralt noticed that Bernard Loredo had posted a bounty on the head of a troll living in the area. Because a troll is a sapient creature, it falls under the code as huntable only if evil. The curious witcher decided to check it out.

On a forest road he met a farmer from Lobinden and learned some things about the problems with the local Troll. The monster once worked on a bridge on the river, but took to drinking and started causing trouble. The peasant had intrigued Geralt - he beseeched him to talk with Chorab, the elder of Lobinden, before killing the troll.

If Geralt speaks with Chorab:

Chorab had a peculiar request. Not only did he not want the monster to die, but he wanted the witcher to cure the troll's alcoholism! Things were starting to get interesting.

If Geralt avoids killing the troll:

Geralt had a talk with the troll, man to man. It turned out that the monster fell into addiction after his wife had been killed. An event like that must have been the talk of Flotsam. Geralt decided to question his acquaintances.

The witcher learned that the female troll had been killed by one Dmitri, who then sold her head as a trophy to Sendler. It was that poacher who told Geralt that one of Dmitri's men hung around the inn. Geralt headed for Flotsam.

The ruffian spilled the beans and Geralt learned that Dmitri was up to something in the cemetery near Lobinden.

Geralt killed Dmitri and his bandits at the burial ground - the lucky bastards wouldn't have to go far now. The female troll was avenged, and the witcher went to see her husband.

The troll was as happy as befit his size, that is immensely. He traded alcoholism for workaholism and began repairing the bridge. Geralt knew Chorab would be pleased and he went to get his well earned reward.

Geralt picked his well earned reward from Chorab and left, content that he aided the local community, had a hand in the development of infrastructure, solved an alcohol problem and got paid on top of it all.